Electrical token target



July 31, 195l s. P. HlTcHlNGs ELECTRICAL TOKEN TARGET Filed July 24, 1944 M u 76 3,11/ T 4 4r TOR/VE Ks.

3 an electro-magnetic coil 34 supported on the bottom II.

The electric connections include a two-wire cable 31 containing wires 38 and 39. The Wire 38 leads to one end of the coil 34. A wire 4|l leads from the other end f this coil to a contact member 4I disposed in the insulating plug 21 within the upper end of the tube 26. The contact 4| projects slightly above the upper surface of the plug 21.

The wire 39 is connected to a contact 42 supported upon an insulating bracket 43 mounted upon the base II. Contact 42 is adapted to close with a button 44 on the wall of the ship I8 when the ship is in its upper postion.

Within the outer container I0 are disposed a suitable number of sloping baille walls 46, 41, 48

and 49. These baille walls are arranged in pairs,

separated at their bottom edges immediately above sliding trays or drawers 50 and 5I supported upon the bottom I I of the outer container and projecting through the wall I2 with suitable handles so that they may be withdrawn.

For appearance purposes, it is desirable to dis-.-

Operation The game is adapted to be played with suitable tokens T of an electrical conducting nature. The game is set at desired distance from a pitching line, from which the pitching players may toss the tokens toward the funnel or stack 24. One of the players is designated the operator for each game. He handles the mechanism for that game and does not pitch the tokens T.

The players pitch their tokens toward the stack 24, which projects above the deck 2|, and preferably above the side flange 22 around the deck. Some of the tokens will miss the boat entirely and will fall between the bailles 53 onto the ballles 46-49 and will tumble into the trays 50 and 5|. Other tokens, pitched by more skillful players, will land upon the deck 2| and be retained there by the flange 22 extending around the deck. The winner, and most skillful player, will pitch a token into the funnel 24. When the token falls into the funnel, it will make contact with the side wall of the funnel and with the upstanding contact 4|. At this time, of course, the ship is in its upper position where itis held by the latch member 28, which in turn is engaged by the armature 30. When the token thus establishes the aforesaid contact, the circuit will be completed from the line 38, through the coil 34, by the line 40, the terminal 4|, the token T, the metallic stack 24, the metallic deck 2|, the metallic side wall of the ship, the contact button 44, now engaged with the terminal 42, the latterterminal, and the line 39. This energizes the coil 34 which attracts the armature 30 to withdraw the end of the same against its inherent resiliency; whereupon the latching lever 28 is free to swing upwardly by the action of the weight of the ship I8 upon the small end thereof, and the ship I8 sinks by dropping until the deck 2| engages the top of the tube 25. When the sinking occurs, the button 44 moves away from the terminal 42 and breaks the entire circuit at this point, thus de-energizing the magnet 34 and completely opening the electrical circuit;

At this time the winning player wins the tokens on the deck 2 I. The operator receives the tokens that have fallen into the drawers 50 and 5I. The operator, after the tokens have been removed, lifts the ship by grasping the stack 24 so that the latch may again fall. Its outer end slopes and its weight outwardly beyond the pivot, which may be augmented by a spring, if desired, displaces the armature 30 against its resiliency so that the latching mechanism is reset for a subsequent game. Thereupon, a new player may be designated as operator, and the others pitch the tokens.

It will be seen that this game has immediate appeal because of its unique simulation of a sinking ship and that it is operated by skill, the most skillful player winning. The relative sizes of the several parts of the target are arranged as may be most convenient or may be most desired for a division of the winnings between the operator and the pitching players.

The outer container may be made of wood, and, in fact, all of the parts, except those directly in the electro-circuits, may desirably be made of non-conducting material to reduce the chance of short circuits.

What is claimed is:

l. In a game device comprising three containers forming three target areas having different sizes to receive projectiles, an outer container, a second container movable vertically relative to the outer container, means holding the second container to such vertical movement, the second container being smaller than the outer container, a latching mechanism to hold the second container in a predetermined position relative to the iirst, a third container disposed within the limits of the second container and smaller than the same, the said containers being adapted to be used with projectiles projected at them, and a latch release mechanism having means in the third container operated in response to receipt of an object Within the third container to eiect release of the latching mechanism whereby the second container moves relative to the zirst.

2. In a game device, an outer container, a second container movable vertically relative to the outer container, the second container being smaller than the outer container, a latching mechanism to hold the second container in a predetermined position relative to the rst, a third container disposed Within the limits of the second container and smaller than the same, the said containers being adapted to being used with objects thrown at them, and a latch release mechanism having means in the third container operated in response to receipt of an object withinthe third container to effect release of the latching mechanism, whereby the second con- Y tainer moves relative to the rst, said latch release mechanism comprising an electrical device and a circuit therefor extending into said third container to be closed by disposition of one of the objects in the third container.

3. In a game device, an outer container, a second container movable vertically relative to the outer container, the second container being smaller than the outer container, a latching mechanism to hold a second container in a predetermined position relative to the rst, a third container disposed within the limits of the second container and smaller than the same, the said containers being adapted to being used with objects thrown at them, and a latch release mechanism having meansin the third container operated in response to receipt of an object within the third container whereby the second container moves relative to the first, said latch release mechanism comprising an electrical device and a circuit therefor extending into said third container to be closed by disposition of one of the objects in the third container, said electrical circuit including a contact on the second container and a contact on the rst container, said contacts being operated to break the circuit when the second container moves relative to the first.

4. In a game device adapted to receive objects thrown thereat, an outer and relatively large container, a second container disposed within the limits of the outer container and smaller than the same, said second container being in the form of a ship having a deck and a ange upstanding around the deck, the third container disposed centrally of the deck of the ship and in the form of a stack upstanding from the deck and open at its upper end, latching means adapted to support the ship in a predetermined upper position relative to the outer container and releasable to permit fall of the ship, electrical releasing means to release the latching means, and means to energize said electrical releasing means, said energizing means including a circuit having terminal means closed by the disposition of one of the objects within the stack.

5. In a game device, an outer container formed of non-conducting material, said outer container having sloping walls providing slots across the same, receptacles below the slots to receive objects thrown into the container, a second container in the firm of a ship smaller than the first container and disposed therein, said second container having a deck and a flange therearound, a third container in the form of a stack passing through the center of the deck, an outer tube upstanding from the bottom of the first container and to which the lower end of the stack below the deck extends, an inner tube upstanding from the bottom of the rst container within the outer tube and projecting into the stack, the stack, the deck and the ship being of conducting material, the inner tube having an insulating plug at the upper end thereof and an electrical contact projecting up above the insulating plug, a latch comprising a latching member pivotally supported on the outer tube and adapted to project under an edge on the stack, said latching member being adapted to pivot toward releasing position under the weight of the ship supported thereon, an armature supported upon the outer container to hold the latching member in latching position, a magnetic coil adapted to attract the armature to release the latching member to permit descent of the ship, a contact supported upon the outer container and engageable with the ship only in the latched position of the ship, an electrical circuit including the coil, the contact of the inner tubular member, the ship and the contact on the base, said circuit being adapted to be closed to energize the coil and release the latching means upon receipt of a conducting token within the stack that bridges between the stack and the contact on the inner tube, said circuit being adapted subsequently to be opened when the ship descends to separate the contact on the outer container from the ship.

6. In a game device, a support, a first receiving 7 means mounted on the support, means connecting the first means and the support for guided vertical movement of the means relatively to the support, a second receiving means smaller than the iirst, and contained within the outer limits of the first, latching mechanism to hold the first receiving means in rst position on the support and releasable to permit the first receiving means to move to second position relative to the support while guided by said connecting means, said latching mechanism having latch control means disposed to be contacted and operated by objects falling onto the second receiving means, whereby said latching mechanism is released.

7, In a game device, a support, a first receiving means mounted on the support, means connecting the first means and the support for guided vertical movement of the means relatively to the support, a second receiving means smaller than the first, and contained within the outer limits of the first, latching mechanism -to hold the rst receiving means in first position on the support and releasable to permit the first receiving means to move to second position relative to the support while guided by said connecting means, said latching mechanism having latch control means disposed to be contacted and operated by objects falling onto the second receiving means, whereby said latching mechanism is released, said second receiving means being demarked from the rst by upstanding walls on the second projecting above the rst.

8. In a game device, a target means toward which objects are adapted to be thrown, comprising an outer container for receiving the objects, a second container disposed within the limits ofV the outer container and smaller than the same and having confining elements to receive and hold objects, a third container grouped with the second container, means connecting the second container and the outer container, said means providing relative movement between them, and means operated by an object thrown into the third container for eiecting such movement of the second container, said connecting means comprising a releasable support that releasably holds the second container above the first, the support being withdrawn when the object engages in the third container to permit descent of the second container.

9. In a game device for receiving projectiles projected thereat, a support, a container mounted on the support for vertical movement, latch means holding the container in an upper position and releasable to permit the container to descend to a lower position, a small target element within the limits of the container and smaller than the same, release mechanism for releasing the latch means, including means operated by a projectile on the small target element to render the release means operative.

SIDNEY P. HII'CI-IINGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 497,309 Chipman May 16, 1893 1,437,699 Wylie Dec. 5, 1922 2,157,631 Rummel May 9, 1939 2,385,724 Olson Sept. 25, 1945 

